Embroidery-seam.



' PATENTED APR, 28, 1903-. 0.:E.BENTLEY.

' EMBROIDERY SEAM.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 14. 1902.

N0 MODEL.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY I lel pieces 1 2 of fabric.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. BENTLEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

EMBROIDERY-SEAM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 726,245, dated April 28, 1903.

Application filed November 14, 1902. Serial No. 131,432, (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LCHARLns E. BENTLEY, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in the borough of Manhattan, city of New York, State ofNew York, have invented a new and usefulEmbroidery-Seam, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its more special objectto provide'au improvedornamental openwork embroidery-seam useful for connecting two pieces of lace or dress goods or other fabric and adapted also for ornamenting the face of a single piece of fabric. 7

The invention will first be described and then will be particularly defined in claims hereinafter set forth.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which I Figure l is a face orplan view of two pieces of fabric united by one preferred arrangement of thebead-sustaining cords and fastoning-threads of the seam. Fig. 2 is a crosssection taken on the line 00 x in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a slightly-modified wider seam. Fig. 4is a plan view of aseatn formed on a single piece of fabric and without the beads or analogous ornaments. Fig. 5 is a plan View of a modified headless seam in which the twisted cord-loops alternate in pairs at opposite edges of the seam, and Fig. 6 shows a further modification in which the cord-loops are each twisted twice and with beads on the cord between its laterally-alternating successive pairs of loops.

In a preferred open-work embroidery-seam;

I use two separated and substantially paral- 3, 5, and 6 of the drawings.) I may use but one piece 3 of fabric, as shown in Fig. 4- of the drawings. v v

The chief peculiarity of this improved seam consists in the lay or course of its ornamenting-cord 4, which may be used with or without beads 5 or analogous ornaments, which are sustained by portions of the cord about midway of the width of the seam.

needle-thread 6, which is looped downward (Shown in Figs. 1,2,,

:for a wider seam. The cord. is fastened to the two pieces of fabric prefer at 7 through the fabric, and a shuttle thread 8, passing through and interlocking with said loops 7. Two rows of. interlooped chainstitch thread may be used to fasten the cord 4along opposite edges of the seam instead of the lock-stitch threads.

In one preferred arrangement, (shown in Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings,) the cord-i at successive alternating right-and left hand portions of the seam is formed into single loops, each of which is twisted one or more complete turns, thereby forming an eye 9,.which later overlies the face of the fabric, and a twisted portion 1() ,from which thecord passes, preferably in diagonal direction at 11, to another twist 10, next an eye 9, formed by twisting the next cord-loop one or more complete turns at the other edge of the seam, and so on the cord is laid in laterally-alternating twisted loops 9 10, connected by intermediate portions 11, for .the whole length of the seam. The eye portions 9 of the cord-loops at opposite edges of the seam are shown fastened flatwise to the face of the fabric bythe threads 6 of the two edge rows of stitches of the seam.

One special office of the intermediate and preferably zigzagged'portion's 11 of the cord is to sustain the beads 5 or analogous ornaments which are strung upon the cord. The twists 10 of the cord-loops prevent slipping of the beads or ornaments 5: to'either edge of the seam, thus maintaining the'beads in a substantially straight row about midway of the width of the seam. The numberv of turns of the twisted portions 10 of the cord-loops may vary to assure holding a substantially straight row of beads 5 along the center of a narrower or wider seam. In Figs. 1 and 2 10 of the cord as adapted for a comparatively narrow seam, while in Fig. 3 of the drawings each alternating loop of thecord is twisted for two complete turns to form laterally longer twisted portions 10 as adapted Three or more complete turns of the cord may be made at each twisted aloop to hold the beads on the intermediate cord portions 11 about midway of a seam of any desired width.

The alternating twisted cord-loops forming the eyes 9 and twists 10, connected by central portions 11 of the cord and held to the fabric by the two opposite edge rows of stitches, present a highly-ornamen tal appearance, giving special utility without the use of beads or analogous ornaments 5 on the parts 11 of the cord, and as will be understood from Fig. 4 of the drawings, which also shows how the seam, either with or without the bead ornaments, may be produced over the face of a single piece of fabric.

In other preferred seams embodying the invention and shown in Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, the ornamenting-cord 4 is formed into pairs or groups of twisted loops 9 10 9 10, which are connected by cord portions 12. These laterally-alternating pairs or groups of cord-loops are connected by intermediate cord portions 11, which may or may not carry beads 5 or analogous ornaments. The beads are omitted in Fig. 5, wherein the cordloops are twisted one complete turn, but are shown in Fig. 6, wherein the loops have two complete turns, substantially as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

In making the bead-ornamented seam it is obvious that the beads 5 may be smaller or the cord-loops 9 10 may be arranged so as to provide longer cord portions 11 to permit two or more beads of the same size or of different sizes, color, or design to be sustained on and by the cord between its successive alternating twisted loops or pairs of loops all along the seam. The round beads shown in the drawings may be substituted by cylindrical beads or by any other analogous ornaments adapted to be strung upon the cord.

As regards the general structure of the open-work seam, it is not essential that the twisted cord-loops be held at their eyes 9 to the upper face of the fabric by the needlethreads 6, as said loops may be fastened at their eyes 9 to the lower face of the fabric by the shuttle-threads 8; but it is preferable to secure the cord-loops at the upper face of the fabric, as shown in the drawings, as thereby the seam is given an increased and more ornamental useful efiect. Any suitable means other than the two rows of stitches may be used to hold the twisted cord-loops to the fabric.

The beads or analogous ornaments have important structural functions relatively to the seam-threads and cords and fabric aside from their useful and valuable ornamental effects. It will be seen that the beads cooperate with the heavier completely-twisted portions 10 of the cord-loops in preventing permanent lateral closure or collapse of the seam, and in this respect the beads are specially serviceable in open-work seams or those formed on very thin and easily-collapsible fabric. This functional efiect would be increased by using on the zigzag portions 11 of the cord t cylindrical bugle-beads or groups of beads completely filling the spaces between successive twisted portions 10 of the cord.

Another useful function of the beads is that by their usual facial projection beyond the seam-threads, cords, and fabric they protect all these from quick or undue wear.

I claim as my invention 1. An embroidery-seam comprising fabric, a cord laid in loops disposed at opposite edges of the seam and twisted one or more complete turns and connected byintermediate portions of the cord ranging along the center of the seam, and means fastening said twisted cordloops to the fabric, substantially as described.

2. An embroidery-seam comprising fabric, a cord laid in loops disposed at opposite edges of the seam and twisted one or more complete turns and connected byintermediate portions of the cord ranging along the center of the seam, beads or analogous ornaments strung upon said intermediate portions of the cord, and means fastening the twisted cord-loops to the fabric, substantially as described.

3. An embroidery-seam comprising fabric, two rows of fastening-stitches one row at each edge of the seam, a cord running lengthwise of the seam and extending laterally in loops to opposite edges of the seam, which cordloops are each twisted one or more complete turns and are secured to the fabric by the two rows of fastening-stitches passing through the loops and fabric, substantially as described.

4. An embroidery-seam comprising fabric, two rows of fastening-stitches one row at each edge of the seam, a series of beads or analogous ornaments strung upon a cord running lengthwise of the seam, loops of said cord between the beads extending laterally to opposite edges of the seam, which cord-loops are each twisted one or more complete turns and are secured to the fabric by the two rows of fastening-stitches passing through the loops and fabric, substantially as described.

5. An embroidery-seam comprising fabric, a cord 4 laid in alternating pairs of loops comprising eyes 9 and twisted portions 10, the loops of each pair being coupled by a cord portion 12, and the successive pairs of loops being connected by intermediate cord portions 11, and two rows of stitches fastening the twisted cord-loops at their eyes 9 to the fabric, substantially as described.

6. An embroidery-seam comprising fabric, a cord 4 laid in alternating pairs of loops comprising eyes 9 and twisted portions 10, the loops of each pair being coupled by a cord portion 12, and the successive pairs of loops being connected by intermediate cord portions 11, beads or analogous ornaments 5 sustained on said cord portions 11, and two rows of stitches fastening the twisted cord-loops at their eyes 9 to the fabric, substantially as described.

CHARLES E. BENTLEY.

\Vitnesses:

JESSE WALKER, HARRY E. CHILDS. 

